BOBBIE CHAPMAN: What are we thinking?

Rev. BOBBIE CHAPMAN

Published 12:00 am, Saturday, June 23, 2012

A reporter is disrespectful to President Obama and thereby to the office of The President. A church Pastor burns the Koran and hangs an effigy of President Obama in front of the church he allegedly serves in the name of Christ, never mind that Jesus Christ as a Nazarene was as dark skinned as any other Nazarene i.e. Anwar Sadat and was also executed by hanging albeit on a cross. What are they thinking?

School personnel are allegedly verbally bullying if not assaulting an autistic 10 year old in school. Secret Service personnel are cavorting with prostitutes in Columbia while on government business. Soldiers are taking pictures of desecrated bodies of enemy soldiers and posting them on social networks. Employees do not show up for work with no notice. What are we thinking?

A school Principal is videoed, by a student, groping and kissing a secretary during school hours. Buildings are burned to the ground for sport; children are left alone in cars or homes; a woman is embezzling money from a Boys and Girls Club; people are running Ponzi schemes victimizing the elderly -what are we thinking?

In 1983, Anne Murray had a hit with the song, "A Little Good News." The song was about seeking a little good news in a world caught up with war, crime and sadness. Almost thirty years later, the news is still not good. What are we thinking?

Have we lost our moral compass? Have we chosen to go to the dark side, escaping the light? Have we simply given up?

It is easy to say, "It is not me who is making these choices." But as people of faith, is it that easy? As people of faith, do we not have a responsibility to set the bar for acceptable behavior? As people of faith, do we not have a responsibility to teach by our example what is right and good? Is it sufficient for people of faith to simply wring their hands and shake their heads when they hear of such behaviors?

Is it not the responsibility of people of faith to reach out to influence the conditions that create such negativity? Is it not the responsibility of people of faith to teach with their words and their actions that the fullness of life is not in the momentary thrill of destruction but in the long lasting effects of construction? Is not the building of a house with Habitat for Humanity for folks who might otherwise not have one infinitely more rewarding than burning down a house thereby depriving the residents of their home?

Will we have good news unless we do something to create it? Will we reset the moral compass of our society without actually doing something?

Philosopher Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." As people of faith, is it not time for us to do something? As people of faith, is it not time, long past time, for us to step up in our places of worship, our communities, our homes and say, "enough." Is it not time to be sure that our dinner tables, our coffee hours, our times of sociability are filled with conversations about good behavior, about responsibility for each other, about being the people our Lord calls us to be? People of faith are good people, let us act like it and take some action, creating some good news.